Los Angeles, Calif. (May 1, 2013) – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is pleased to announce that Long Beach State University outside hitter Taylor Crabb has been named the 2013 AVCA Men’s Division I-II National Player of the Year.

The presentation was made at the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship Banquet on the campus of the UCLA. The banquet was held in conjunction with the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship, to be played May 2 and 4 at Pauley Pavilion on UCLA’s campus.

Crabb, a native of Honolulu, Hawai’i, played a crucial role in leading Long Beach State to a 24-8 record, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Tournament runner-up, and a top-5 ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll since February 4.

He currently sits at No. 3 in the nation in kills per set at 4.18, No. 4 in points per set at 4.71 and is in the top-10 with a .353 hitting percentage. Defensively, his 209 digs place him second on the team to go along with his 72 total blocks.

Crabb’s consistency recording eight 20-plus kill performances led the 49ers to a third-seed in the MPSF Tournament, where he recorded 50 kills in three matches. His best two performances came in the final two, smashing 23 kills hitting .362 in the semifinals against No. 2 seed UC Irvine then nailed another 16 with nearly a .400 attack percentage in the loss to No. 1 BYU in the MPSF Championship Match.

The first-time AVCA All-American finishes his third year with 1,097 career kills. His other career numbers include 1,245.5 points, 577 digs, 158 blocks and 56 service aces.

Crabb becomes the third 49er to be named AVCA National Player of the Year after Brent Hilliard won it in 1992 and Paul Lotman co-won it with Penn State’s Matt Anderson in 2008.